Planetarium



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

U. G. HOUSTON.

PLANETARIUM.

No. 367,104. Patented July 26, 1887.

ATTORNEY .2 Sheets-Sheet 2. U. G. HOUSTON.

(No Model.)

PLANETARIUM Patented July 26,1881

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ULYSSES'G. HOUSTON, OF VALPARAISO, INDIANA.

PLANETARIUM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,104 dated July 26, 1887.

Application filed January 10, 1887.

being bad to the accompanying drawings, two' sheets illustrating the invention, in which- Figure I is a plan or top view of an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. lljs a sectional view on line :20, Fig. I; Fig. III, a top or plan view of the planet-holder for the earth removed from therotating disk surrounding it. Fig. IVis a sectional view on line 2, Fig. I;

v Fig. V, a view of the planet earth as would be seen at Fig. I by looking in the direction indicated by dart 3 Fig. VI shows the earth in position ,in its holder as when the sun is vertically over the equator and the holder removed from the rotating plane. Fig.VII shows the earth in its holder in position as when in summer solstice.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an astronomical apparatus which shall be much simpler and less expensive than those now in use for illustrating the movements and positions of the planets of our solar system, and one which will serve well the purpose of primary education. In reducing my invention to practice I have found that it is much simpler to represent the planets on a plane which rotates around a body representing the sun,

and to represent the satellites as moving on the same plane as the planets.

The mechanism employed is as follows:

. A represents a table of any desired size, to serve as a support for the devices hereinafter mentioned.

B represents a circular plane, which is made of wood or other suitable material, and of such diameter as maybe chosen as the planet-field, and it is centrally pivoted to the table A by a post, O,whicl1 projects down from the body F,

representing the sun, and serves also as a pivot for a pulley, D.

Aftixedto the'post O, and placed above the rotating plane B, is a three-grooved pulley, E, and between this pulley and the sunF is a small pulley, also affixed to thepost 0.

Serial No. 223,361. (No model.)

Pivoted to the table A by means of a post, L H, is a pulley, I, of the same size and kind as pulley D, and to this post, above the bed A, are affixed pulleysJ and K. In the plane B are formed vertically six holes, and in them are 55 closely fitted what I term planet-holders, which are cylindrical sections a, of metal, projecting far enough above the plane to form pivots for rings N, X, V, T, R, and P to turn on, the top portions of the cylinders being flanged at a to hold the rings on. In these holders spherical bodies M W U S Q 0 are placed, and holes 8 8 are formed through the plane B, in which are placed the two planets nearest to the sun. representing the eight primary planets, except the earth, rest on the table A, so that when the plane B is rotated theywill travel on the table and rotate. The north pole of the earth is shown at. b, and an equatorial bearing, through the earth is shown at n, Figs. I and V. The flange a supports the bearing a, and consequently holds the earth M suspended on the holder 0. (SeeFigs. III, V, VI, andVII.) The south pole of the earth passes through a slotted plate, d, affixed to the holder 0, and into an eccentric groove, 6, formed in the top face of the table A, the groove being shown twice in section at Fig. II, and its positionindicated by dotted line, Fig. I. A staple, m, is driven 8c into the ringN,an d the bearingnpasses through it, so that when the ring is turned the earth ,will be turned on its polar axis to represent night and day. Vertically through each ring pivoted to the holders 0 are formed one or more holes, 1, corresponding to the number of satellites or moons the particular planet within said holder has, and in these holes are placed spherical bodies,which rotate'by traveling on the plane B as, for instance, the Earth M has 0 one moon, 7; Saturn WV has eight moons 2; Mars II has two moons, 3; Jupiter S has four moons, 4; Uranus Q has six moons, 5, and Neptune has one moon, 6. r

Y represents Venus, and Z represents Mer- 5 cury. A band, h, is placed on pulley E and passes around the four rings T, V, X, and N, and rotates them, carrying the moons around their respective planets. Single belts, however, may be employed for each of the rings All the sphericalbodies, 6 5v mentioned. A crossed belt, t, on pulley E and ring R rotates the latter, and a cross-belt, 7', drives ring 1. A belt, dotted lines 5 Fig. I, is put over pulleys K, to carry bodies representing comets toward the sun. This construction is such that power applied to rotate the sun in the direction indicated by dart 10, Fig. I, will rotate the rings M \V V T in the same three tion and rotate the rings R P in the opposite direction, coinciding with the rotation of the planets within the respective ring relative to the sun F. The rotation of the sun will bring the earth into the position of winter solstice, and bring it into summer solstice when it is brought around to the opposite side of the sun; and when the earth is brought to the point where the dotted line!) crosses the dotted line h over the eccentric groove 0, there will be Vernal and autumnal equinoxes. It will be understood that in this limited space the comparative sizes and distances of the planets cannot be illustrated, but that when a large apparatus is constructed the proper relation of parts can be more nearly approximated. In such case the asteroids between the planets Mars and Jupiter can be illustrated, together with much other astronomical data. In small library apparatus the sun can be turned by hand; but in large apparatus power may be applied to the post C of pulleyD, which, being connected by a cross-band, f,with the pulley will give the proper movement to the devices.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The table A, provided with the eccentric groove 0, in combination with the rotating plane B, the holders 0 (0, extending through the plane, the rings pivoted to the holders, and the earth-holder provided withthe slotted plate (7, and the earth provided with a north and south pole and with equatorial bearing a, and

one or more rings provided with a staple, m,

ULYSSES G. HOUSTON.

\Vil nesses:

G. L. CIIAPIN, A. V. GORRELL. 

